


Home (Is Where The Heart Is)

by KeiraCohenWrites (sailor_sana)



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV), The Haunting of Hill House (TV 2018)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Drama, F/F, LGBTQ Themes, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:28:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27715450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sailor_sana/pseuds/KeiraCohenWrites
Summary: Dani Clayton is a young realtor trying to make it big in the sunny state of California. Her career is going up, while her relationship with her boyfriend is going down. Throw in a charming millionaire and Dani finds herself facing a tough decision.
Relationships: Dani Clayton & Edmund O'Mara, Dani Clayton & Jamie, Dani Clayton/Jamie, Hannah Grose/Owen Sharma
Comments: 3
Kudos: 41





	Home (Is Where The Heart Is)

**Author's Note:**

> Hi, guys! 
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read my story. This is my first time writing a Bly Manor fic -- I can't seem to stop thinking about Dani and Jamie, for some reason. 
> 
> This story takes place in a completely alternate universe, meaning there's no Bly Manor (it's more like a Hollywood Hills Mansion), no ghosts, and, most importantly, no deaths. 
> 
> I do have to warn you that Dani, Jamie, and pretty much everyone else is out of character in this story. I was writing this as an original story but then decided to turn it into a Dani/Jamie fic.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys like my attempt at a "Damie" love story! I'd love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to leave a comment if you read this fic! I'm 100% open to receiving feedback from the public! haha
> 
> Also, if you're interested in K-pop fanfiction, feel free to check out my other profile (sailor_sana) -- I write SaTzu (TWICE) fics there :)
> 
> Stay safe, everyone!
> 
> \- Keira Cohen.

After six years living in Los Angeles, Danielle was still trying to get used to the quick dynamic of the city. Her hometown back in Iowa had a population of only 5,000 people, so it was safe to say that things over there worked in a very different manner than they did in L.A. The climate, for one, was something that Danielle was still trying to get used to. Around this time of the year in Winterset, Iowa, the days would be cold and snowy; Los Angeles, on the other hand, was hot and making her sweaty — which was something she wasn’t too fond of.

“This place is amazing, that’s for sure.” A croaky voice caught Danielle’s attention.

“It truly is, Mr. Jones,” she said with a smile. “I’m sure you’ll create some of your best memories here.”

The way that Mr. Jones looked at her made the woman feel slightly uncomfortable but she obviously couldn’t express it. Just smile and pretend you don’t notice their stare, Danielle, her boss had once told her.

“Well, I’m sure those memories would be even better if you were here with me creating them, Dani.” He smirked. Danielle flashed him a fake smile. She hated when he called her Dani, as she hadn’t given him permission to do so. Only her friends and family called her that. Naturally, the man couldn’t tell that her smile was fake because he was too busy trying to sneak a peek inside Danielle’s cleavage instead. 

The woman chuckled dryly. “It’s a shame I’m not included in the contract, then,” she said in a light tone, trying her best not to snap at the man. 

She wasn’t the kind of person who lost their temper very often, but sometimes it was hard to keep a smile on her face when dealing with clients like Mr. Jones. The worst part of it all was that some of her sales depended on that smile — a single slip was enough for some clients to back down on their purchases. Dani despised the way that some of her male clients treated her as if she were an object but the blonde woman knew that she had to suck it up and pretend that she was okay with sleazy men hitting on her almost on a daily basis. It was part of her job, unfortunately. It shouldn’t be, but it was. Every profession had its hardships and dealing with unwanted attention from potential clients was a hardship that came with being a young real estate agent who worked with millionaire men, mostly. Her boss — although he never said a word to the clients regarding their predatory behavior towards his female agents — was quite generous when it came to paying his employees. The commissions that Dani got from selling luxury properties around Los Angeles were pretty damn good, and they were more than enough to allow her to live a more-than-comfortable life in the city. But more than enjoying the money that came with this profession, Dani really loved selling houses and that was the main reason why she chose to follow this path. While she didn’t particularly enjoy dealing with clients like the one she was dealing with right now, Dani was a hopeless romantic in every sense — and so she felt ecstatic whenever she got to sell real estate to young couples who were oh-so-helplessly in love and ready to start a new life. It felt nice knowing that she was helping lovebirds write another thrilling chapter of their story. She had been in their position before and, though it wasn’t as exciting for her as she thought it would be, even still she had been eager to go house-hunting with her boyfriend when they first got to California. 

“It is a shame indeed,” The man said. He handed over the contract to Dani and sighed. Looking at his signature on that piece of paper lifted a huge burden from Dani’s back. “My offer still stands, you know? I can take you for dinner in the best restaurants in the world, I can give you the most expensive jewelry, take you to the most expensive places on the planet...”

“I’m flattered, Mr. Jones, but as I told you before, I don’t think my boyfriend would appreciate that.” As soon as Dani finished her sentence, her lips broke into a bright smile; her first genuine smile that morning. Yes, Mr. Billy Jones was insufferable with his comments but the man had just bought a 7-million dollar apartment from her. He sure deserved one of Dani’s signature smiles — the one that showed her dimples and all. “Congratulations on buying this apartment, Mr. Jones. It was a pleasure working for you, sir.”

The young woman shook her client’s hand for one last time before turning to walk away. She couldn’t wait to be away from him. Billy, however, kept on holding her hand, keeping Dani from leaving. 

“Can’t you stay for lunch, Dani?”

Dani wanted so bad to roll her eyes. She was proud of herself for managing not to do so. 

“I would love to, but I have to meet another client right now, Mr. Jones. I’m sorry.”

“Right, of course.” With a dejected look on his face, the man let go of her arm. Dani felt slightly bad for turning him down. He could be quite funny and pleasant sometimes, and he seemed like a very lonely person. However, Dani knew that she couldn’t let him think that his way of approaching women was nice. He should know better than to try and use his money to buy a lady’s affection and he certainly should take a hint when a girl obviously didn’t want to get romantically involved with him. With a final smile, Dani left the man’s newly-acquired property. 

As soon as she stepped out of the apartment building, the young real estate agent let out a relieved sigh. She could finally breathe properly. Dani unlocked her car, which was parked right in front of the building, and got inside, immediately dialing an all-too-familiar number.

“Hello, baby girl,” A cheerful voice greeted her.

“Hi. Billy Jones finally signed the contract. I’m heading back to the office. Are you finished yet?”

“Almost,” Her best friend, Hannah Grose, replied in her British accent. “By the way, John is ready to pop a champagne bottle to celebrate your ‘outstanding work’,” The woman finished her sentence mocking their boss’s chirpy voice. 

“Ugh,” Dani sighed. She didn’t really like it when her boss praised her work in front of the entire office. John Grosman was oblivious to the fact that his other employees hated Dani because he always gave her the best houses to sell — even though she was still considered the ‘newcomer’ in the office. Some of the other girls had been working for the Grosman Group for years longer than Danielle, and still, their listings never included properties in places like the Hollywood Hills — which was where their most expensive properties were located; it was also the place where Dani had been working the most lately. Out of all the ten real estate agents working in their office, Hannah was the only person who had made an effort to get to know Dani when she first started working for the Grosman Group. They had clicked immediately, and it didn’t take long for them to become best friends. 

“Can you do something about that? I genuinely don’t want to deal with anyone’s bullshit right now.”

“I thought you’d never ask.” Dani could tell that Hannah was smirking, even though she couldn’t see the British woman’s face. “I’ll tell John you had an emergency.”

“Thanks, Han.” Dani smiled. “Do you want me to pick you up?”

“No, it’s okay. I’ll just meet you at the restaurant.”

“Okay. Bye.” Dani ended the call and turned up the volume as an indie song she was unfamiliar with played on the radio. Music always worked wonders in making the 28-year-old woman feel better whenever she was having a bad day. Technically, nothing truly bad had happened, but this morning Dani had woken up restless, which was a sign that her day would be awful. Maybe she was just nearing her period. Add that restlessness to the fact that she hadn’t eaten anything all morning, and a hungry Dani was not a pleasant sight.

“You look awful,” was the first thing that Dani heard from her friend as the dark-skinned woman sat down at their usual table.

“Why, thank you, Han. You always know how to make me feel good about myself.” Hannah shrugged in response. They were way past the friendship stage in which you can’t be 100% honest with each other; Dani knew that Hannah didn’t mean anything bad, and Hannah knew that Dani knew that. “I couldn’t sleep well last night. And I’m so confused about my day. I’m not sure if I’m having a bad day or a good day. I think it’s somewhere in between. You know what I mean?”

“Well, not really. My days are either good or bad, there’s no in-between for me,” The older woman said with a shrug. “Is this about Billy Jones?” Hannah asked. 

“Kind of...I guess? He is one of the reasons, yes, but not the only reason,” Dani said. The two women paused their conversation as the waitress brought their orders. Dani politely smiled at the woman and took a bite of her steak before speaking again. “I think Eddie might be thinking of having a baby.”

Hannah raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Wow, that’s...not surprising, actually. Haven’t you guys been together since, like, forever? I’m pretty sure that long-term relationships usually include a kid or two at some point.”

“I mean, not necessarily.” Dani tried to reason. “I know plenty of couples who have been together for years and don’t have children. You and Owen, for example!”

“Okay, sure. Children are not a must, you’re absolutely right. But I thought you wanted that,” Hannah said slowly. “No, actually, you told me you wanted a kid someday. What’s changed?”

“Nothing’s changed. But I did say I wanted them someday in the future. Not today. Not now. I’m only 28!” The blonde woman exclaimed. “And I’m at the peak of my career, I don’t really want to have a kid at the moment. I don’t understand why Eddie would bring this subject up.”

“You know he’s getting older. Maybe he’s scared he won’t be able to have children anymore.” Hannah shrugged.

“Oh, please. He’s only one year older than me,” Dani said with a roll of her eyes. “Besides, men never stop producing their...thing. I’m pretty sure he can have a child even when’s sixty or whatever.” Hannah chuckled lightly at her friend’s words. “Anyway, when he mentioned having kids I was so shocked. I didn’t express that, obviously. I smiled and pretended that I wasn’t freaking out internally. I don’t even know why it scared me so much…” Danielle ran her hands through her blonde locks. “I guess I’m not ready to even talk about kids.”

“Then let’s not talk about kids,” Hannah suggested. “You know, John didn’t pop the champagne bottle in the end.”

Dani smiled in appreciation for her friend. One of the best aspects of her friendship with Hannah was that the older woman never pressed her to talk about things she didn’t want to talk about. 

“Oh, thank God.” 

“But he did make sure that everyone in the office knew that you’re in charge of selling that Hollywood Hills mansion.” 

Dani’s smile dropped. “I thought he said that Jane would be selling that house.”

Hannah shrugged. “Not anymore, I guess. Apparently, Jane hasn’t been able to rent office spaces lately. She’s not exactly the most trustworthy agent in the company at the moment. Anyway, John said he’s not going to be in the office this afternoon but he’ll call you later to tell you the details about this listing.”

Dani exhaled deeply. “Jane’s going to kill me. You know that, right?”

“Well, it’s not like she needed a lot of motivation for that, anyway. She hates you with every fiber of her being.” Hannah chuckled to herself. Dani glared at her friend. “What? It’s true.”

“I know.” Dani sighed. “That house is so expensive, though. I have no idea where I’m going to find a buyer. This is going to be so hard…”

“I’m sure you can do it, Dani.” Hannah smiled in encouragement. “You’re pretty talented.”

“Wait, you were the one in charge of selling those mansions before you got promoted to management, right?” Hannah nodded. “How did you do it?”

“I’m talented, too, you know...but it also helps that I have a lot of contacts. You see, when I was younger, I dated this heir for a while and he was friends with some of the richest guys I’ve ever met. He told his friends that I was a real estate agent and that was it. Whenever they wanted to buy a house in Los Angeles, they’d give me a call.”

“Well, are you still in touch with any of those guys?”

“I might still have a number or two. I’ll send you their contact information and you just tell them that you’re my friend,” Hannah said. “Oh, I also know some people in the entertainment industry who would love that house. Owen told me these YouTube kids are loaded and ready to spend it all. I’ll compile a list of potential buyers and send it to you.”

“Thank you so much, Hannah. You’re the best friend I could ask for!” Dani reached out to squeeze her friend’s hand. 

“You better buy me a new car with the commission money you’ll get from that house.” Hannah joked. “But, look, John told me that he’s already arranged to have a few people checking the house. I think there’s actually someone who wants to see it tomorrow.”

“For real? Wow, that was quick.” Dani was impressed.

“Yeah. John will tell you everything about it later,” Hannah said. “Now, enough about you. Let me tell you all my weekend with Owen in Malibu.”

Dani chuckled but listened attentively as her friend went over the events of her romantic weekend. Hannah was an incredible human being, and she deserved good things only. The English woman was very beautiful, very successful, and happily married — all of that at the age of 35 years old! Hannah and her husband were particularly into traveling all over the globe, and they never spent the weekend in Los Angeles. Dani had to admit that sometimes she envied her friend and her husband, and their free-spirited nature. Eddie was a homebody and hated traveling, so they rarely went anywhere other than Iowa for the holidays. Still, Dani was mostly happy for Hannah — the older woman deserved to be happy, especially considering everything that she went through during her first marriage. Dani was glad that Hannah gave her a chance when all the other girls in the office had turned their backs on Dani. The two of them developed the friendship of a lifetime; in fact, their bond was so strong that Dani was pretty sure there was nothing that could break them apart. It was nice to have someone like Hannah in her life and it was even better to know that she could always count on her best friend to be there for her. Dani was especially thankful for that. Hannah was the friend she had always dreamed of having — but never got the chance to, considering that she had always been the ‘odd’ girl back in her hometown. 

Once their lunch was over, both women headed back to the office. Dani was glad that she didn’t have to meet any other clients today. That usually meant that she’d have to go over tons of boring paperwork, but today Dani didn’t even care. She would probably get to sell absolutely nothing with her shitty humor, anyway. The combo of Eddie’s talk about children and Mr. Billy Jones coming onto her had really taken its toll on Dani. She’d love to have a glass of red wine right now. Thankfully, she only had a couple of hours left before she could go home. Dani’s office phone rang and she picked it up without looking at the caller ID; she already knew it was her boss.

“Hello, beautiful,” John greeted Dani in his high-pitched tone. “I was hoping that I’d get a chance to congratulate you in person on the sale of that damned apartment, but Hannah told me what happened. I’m really sorry about your dog.”

Dani frowned. “My...dog?”

“I can’t even imagine how painful it must be for you. I mean, a truck running over an inoffensive dog? That’s awful.”

“Jesus Christ, Hannah,” Dani muttered under her breath. She cleared her throat. “Y-yeah...it sucks.”

“Anyway,” John sighed. “Do you think you’re in the right mind to sell that Hollywood Hills house? I have a client who wants to see it tomorrow but I’m not sure if you’re okay to do that or if you want to take a day off.”

“No!” Dani exclaimed. “I mean, I’m okay. I’m sure my dog is in a better place now. I’m fine, seriously.”

“Well, if you say so,” John said. “This client is loaded and he’s a first-time homeowner. I’m pretty sure he’ll buy this house, so all you have to do is be your charming self, okay? Flash him one of your beautiful smiles and it’s done, he’ll sign the contract.” Dani rolled her eyes at her boss’ words. One could only wish that one day John Grosman would realize that his employees are actually talented agents and not just pretty faces. “Also, he’s really busy and can only see this house tomorrow morning, so make sure to be there on time.”

“I’m always on time.”

“I know. Just wanted to confirm that this time won’t be different. I emailed you a file containing all the details on the house so you can get acquainted with it...” Danielle waited as John paused for a couple of seconds. He was probably trying to remember if he had anything else to say — lately, his memory had been failing him more often than not. “Well, I guess that’s all. I wanted to go with you tomorrow but I’m out of town, so good luck there. Oh, and make sure to use all of your weapons to get this man to buy the house. You can go home earlier today to get ready for tomorrow.”

“Okay, thanks, John,” Dani said. “Talk to you later.” The blonde-haired woman placed her phone on the table with a sigh. She’d love to go home and prepare for tomorrow but Dani was dreading going back home and having to face her boyfriend after last night. At least he won’t be home for another couple of hours, she thought. Dani decided that working from home would be more productive than working in the office, where she could feel all of her co-workers glaring at her. Jane had probably told them about the Hollywood Hills house. Great. Yet another reason for these women to hate her even more. Dani organized the paperwork on her desk, threw her phone inside her faux-leather purse, and got out of her seat, stopping by Hannah’s office on her way out. “Hey.”

Hannah looked up from her laptop. “Hi,” She replied. “Are you leaving?”

Dani nodded. “John told me I could go home earlier and prepare for tomorrow.” Hannah hummed in response. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Good luck tomorrow, honey. If you sell that house, John is definitely promoting you.”

“If he wants Jane and the girls to team up and kill me, then yeah, he’ll promote me.” Dani chuckled. “See you for lunch tomorrow?”

“Definitely.” Hannah grinned. Dani waved at her and made her way out of the office, more than ready to get home and relax in the hot tub with a glass of wine. Tomorrow was supposed to be an important day – she was possibly going to make the most expensive deal of her career as a real estate agent, after all – but she was too stressed to feel giddy about it at the moment. 

Maybe she’d feel better tomorrow; maybe today just wasn’t her day. 

*****

Luckily for Danielle, the rest of her day went by uneventfully. The first thing she did when she got home was put her phone on airplane mode. She was definitely not answering any calls today. Dani had lit some scented candles in the bathroom and relaxed in the tub until the tips of her fingers were wrinkled. After her bath, she finished the paperwork she had started at the office and downloaded the file that John had sent her earlier. The young woman had only visited the Hollywood Hills house when it was still in the early stages of construction, so she had no idea how it looked like now. Her jaw dropped as she checked the pictures of the house. It was huge. No wonder it was so expensive. Dani could only wonder how good it would feel to live in a place that big. However, as she thought of how long it would take to clean the whole place, Dani felt more than grateful for her 2-bedroom home.

The 28-year-old was writing down a script of the things she’d say to the client tomorrow when she heard the front door opening. Her heart raced immediately — and it wasn’t the happy kind of heart-racing feeling. It felt more like anxiety than happiness if she was being honest. Dani’s hazel eyes flew towards the entrance hall, where soon enough a male figure appeared. Something flickered in his light brown eyes when he saw Dani.

“Oh, you’re home early,” He said timidly. Dani nodded. 

The two of them were silent for a while. It wasn’t unusual for them to be silent around each other, but it was never the uncomfortable kind of silence. Dani watched silently as Eddie moved around the house, picking up a couple of dirty glasses that had been left on the coffee table the night before and taking them to the sink. She took in the sight of his curly black hair and wondered when she had stopped thinking it made him look like an angel. Eddie was an attractive man, Dani knew that. She was well aware that plenty of women would kill for a chance to date him, and she also knew that she should feel lucky that he had chosen her, of all people. But she didn’t. She had stopped feeling like she was lucky to have him once she realized that he was also lucky to have her. Dani had long developed an awareness of her self-worth, in spite of her mother’s attempts to make her feel crappy about herself. The thing about Eddie was that he was also one of the sweetest guys that Dani had ever met. He had a heart of gold and that had once been her favorite part about him; it was his kindness and his softness that made Dani stay with Eddie all these years. Once upon a time, Eddie had been the kind of guy that she could always count on — after all, he had been her best friend since they were 8. Lately, however, Dani started to notice a few changes in her boyfriend’s demeanor. He had started spewing uncalled-for comments every now and then, and Dani didn’t fail to notice how quickly he was losing his temper these days — especially when she talked about work. Dani didn’t even want to get started on the passive-aggressive, inherently sexist remarks that seemed to be coming out of Eddie’s mouth more frequently than ever. 

“Dani, look...” Eddie’s voice caught her attention. She looked at him and was surprised to see an anxious and dreadful look on his face. “I just...I just wanted to apologize for last night.”

“Oh...that.” Dani gulped. She looked away from her curly-haired boyfriend. “It’s, um, it’s okay, Eddie. Really.”

“I know it isn’t okay.” Eddie approached Dani and took her delicate hand into his as he sat on the edge of the table. “I felt like crap all day long because I’ve got this feeling that you felt uncomfortable with that talk about children? I mean, you didn’t express it, but I guess I saw something in your eyes. I don’t know...I’m just sorry.”

Dani flashed him a small smile. Eddie wasn’t perfect — far from that. But he wasn’t a bad person either. She got up from her seat and positioned herself between his long legs. Dani wrapped her arms around Eddie’s shoulders and hugged him tightly. Deep down, he was still the same goofy boy who never missed an opportunity to crack a joke when they were kids. Dani reveled in the feeling of being enveloped in Eddie’s familiar embrace.

“Are we okay now?” He asked. Dani felt bad for making Eddie feel bad. She nodded shyly and pulled away from his arms.

“Look, I’m sorry for being such a horrible person, okay?” She smiled apologetically. 

“You’re not a horrible person, don’t say that.”

“You’re the sweetest guy on the planet and I made you feel like crap, so yeah, I’m horrible. Anyway...what I want to say is, I’m sorry for the way I reacted. It’s not like the idea of having a kid with you repulses me. I just don’t want a kid now. I’m not ready to take that step yet, especially now that my career is going so well.”

“I know, babe.” Eddie smiled, but Dani could tell there was something else behind his smile. It didn’t quite reach his brown eyes, and the young woman immediately knew that he wasn’t being entirely honest. “I just thought that now that I’ve been promoted you would consider quitting your job, you know? I mean, I can easily provide for our home now and I thought that-” 

There it was. Dani knew she should have been waiting for the final blow. “And you thought what? That I would quit my job and become a housewife?” Dani scoffed. She stepped away from her boyfriend and crossed her arms. “Wake up, Eddie. We’re not living in the eighteenth century.”

Eddie huffed in annoyance. “I don’t want to fight, Danielle,” he said. “Not tonight.”

“Then don’t say things like that!” Dani exclaimed. “And stop acting like every other guy from back home. Remember how we used to tell everyone that we’re a good match because we think alike? Because we didn’t share the same archaic mindset as the people from our town?”

“Well, people change, Danielle!” Eddie said in an angry voice. Dani flinched slightly at his tone; Eddie had never raised his voice at her before. “I’m not the same guy I was back then. I want different things now!”

Dani shook her head. “I guess you forgot to send me the memo, then, because I did not sign up for any of what you might have in mind. And you know what? I don’t have time for this. I’m going to bed.” The light-haired woman grabbed her cellphone and laptop from the table. She headed towards the guest room, locking the door behind her once she got in. Dani placed her things on the bedside table and plopped down on the bed. 

So much for wishing to have one peaceful moment today.


End file.
